Building Success Together: Exploring Collaborative Engineering Partnerships

At ACI Boland Architects, we firmly believe that exceptional design and successful project delivery are born from strong collaboration. While architectural vision often takes center stage, our engineering partners serve a massive role in bringing those visions to life safely, efficiently, and sustainably. We understand that every project is unique, and therefore, a one-size-fits-all approach to design team structure simply doesn’t cut it. That’s why we’ve cultivated experience working in diverse partnership modes with our engineering colleagues, ensuring we assemble the most effective team to meet each client’s specific needs and project goals.

Currently, ACI Boland actively engages in three distinct partnership models with our trusted engineering allies:

This model represents the most common and well-established approach in our industry. Here, ACI Boland takes the lead in the overall project, guiding the design vision and managing the client relationship. Our engineering partners function as crucial subconsultants, bringing their specialized expertise in structural, mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP) systems, as well as civil engineering.

This very traditional team concept is often the most comfortable and familiar for our clients. It leverages ACI Boland’s inherent strengths in leading and managing the overall project scope, ensuring a cohesive design narrative and streamlined communication. By taking ownership of the client relationship and project management, we allow our engineering partners to focus on delivering their technical brilliance. This model ensures the right team is assembled for the right project, capitalizing on each firm’s core competencies.

A prime example of this successful model is our work at St. Elizabeth Parish. ACI Boland is spearheading both architectural design and overall project management, bringing in the exceptional expertise of Lankford | Fendler + associates and Wallace Design Collective for their vital engineering contributions. This collaborative effort is creating beautifully designed and functionally sound spaces that should exceed the parish’s expectations.

Rendering of St. Elizabeth Gathering Center

In response to the increasing complexity of infrastructure renewal projects and engineering-dominant initiatives, we’ve seen a rise in the “inverted” team structure. In this model, our engineering partner takes the lead role, assuming primary responsibility for client management and overall project direction, while ACI Boland serves as a subconsultant, providing architectural design services and support.

This approach relies heavily on the engineering firm possessing robust in-house capabilities for both client and project management. It places added responsibility on the engineers to effectively navigate the client relationships and steer the project towards successful completion. Recognizing this, ACI Boland actively supports our engineering partners in this model by offering our expertise in client communication, project management best practices, and contractual leadership.

We’ve also learned that our advanced Building Information Modeling (BIM) capabilities can be a critical contribution to our engineering partners in these scenarios, providing valuable support in visualization, coordination, and clash detection.

Our collaboration on the KU Medical Center Wesco B 5th & 6th Floor Renovation exemplifies this inverted model. ACI Boland was brought in by the leading engineering firm, BranchPattern. In this instance, our architectural expertise complemented BranchPattern’s engineering prowess, resulting in a successful outcome driven by strong engineering leadership and supported by our design capabilities.

Renderings of KU Medical Center Wesco B 5th & 6th Floor Renovation

In certain situations, particularly with smaller infrastructure renewal projects, the project owner may choose to establish separate contractual relationships directly with both the architect (ACI Boland) and the various engineering disciplines. This parallel approach requires more direct and coordinated conversations with the owner, as the traditional single point of contact is removed.

While this model can potentially offer efficiency for owners on smaller, technically focused projects by allowing them to leverage specific individual disciplines, it often introduces complexities. The owner assumes a greater responsibility for project coordination, which may not align with their core expertise. Furthermore, this model can sometimes lead to increased overall project costs due to duplicated project management efforts across multiple contracts.

Recognizing these potential challenges, ACI Boland often augments the owner’s project management team, providing our experience and expertise to bridge any gaps in coordination and ensure seamless communication between all parties involved.

Our work on the Kansas City Public Schools Indefinite Delivery Projects, such as the Paseo Academy of Fine & Performing Arts Gym, illustrates this parallel relationship. In this instance, the City of Kansas City contracted separately with ACI Boland and engineering firms like Norton & Schmidt Consulting Engineers and Lankford | Fendler + associates. They even further augmented the effort by procuring many types of equipment directly through their own avenues.  Our role still included proactive communication and coordination to ensure the architectural and engineering aspects of the project remain aligned and the owner’s objectives were met.  We are excited by the product that was created.

Kansas City Public Schools – Paseo Academy of Fine & Performing Arts Gym Renovation 

Our flexible approach to engineering partnerships ultimately benefits our clients in numerous ways. By understanding and adapting to different collaboration models, we ensure:

• The Right Expertise for the Right Project: We can tailor the team structure to perfectly match the specific demands and complexities of each project, ensuring the most qualified professionals are leading and contributing at every stage.
• Clear Roles and Responsibilities: Regardless of the chosen model, we prioritize clear communication and defined roles, minimizing confusion and maximizing efficiency.
• Streamlined Communication: We facilitate effective communication channels between all team members, including the client, ensuring everyone is informed and aligned.
• Optimal Value: By selecting the most appropriate partnership structure, we strive to deliver the best possible value for our clients, balancing cost-effectiveness with exceptional quality and expertise.
• Successful Project Outcomes: Ultimately, our diverse experience in collaborative partnerships translates to smoother project delivery, innovative solutions, and successful outcomes that meet and exceed our clients’ expectations.

At ACI Boland Architects, we understand that successful projects are built on strong relationships and effective teamwork. Our commitment to flexible and collaborative engineering partnerships ensures that we can build success together with our clients and our trusted engineering colleagues, no matter the project’s size or complexity.